Stoker



May 18, 1937. H, P, ANDERSON ET AL 2,081,114

STOKER Filed April 15, 1935 12 &1 N I g 0 f 40 I 2 ,f

I 1 I A; j

a??? 4 INVENTORS ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 193-7 e UNITED STATES STOKER.

Howard P. Anderson. and Eugene Martin, Erie, Pa., assignors, by mesneassignments, to The of-v Delaware Standard Stoker Company, Inc., acorporation Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,287 4 Claims. (01.-401),

This invention relates to improvements in stokers of the type which feedfuel into a furnace through a wall thereof, and specifically tolocomotive stokers of this type.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a cover forming aclosure for an opening in a stoker conduit, a new and improved latchingdevice which firmly retains the cover on its seat over the opening inthe delivery conduit and which device maybe quickly unlatched to permitremoval of the cover from its normal closing position.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide theimproved latching device for a stoker conduit cover which is hinged to astoker conduit at an end thereof remote from the improved latchingdevice.

Other objects and advantages of our invention such as the improvedconstruction of the cover and the latching device therefor will beapparent as the following description is read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through adjacentportions of a locomotive firebox and the stoker therefor, in which theinvention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the structure shownin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3A is a sectional view taken on the line 3A3A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating another embodiment ofour invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of this drawing, which illustrate theinvention embodied in a stoker for locomotives, I0 indicates the boilerhaving a hollow backwall II provided with an opening I2 thereinconstituting-an entranceway to the interior of the firebox or furnace I3and also serving as an opening through which a stoker S feeds fuel intosaid firebox.

The stoker S is of a well known commercial form and for this reason onlythe fuel discharging and distributing means thereof is shown. Asillustrated, the stoker S includes a riser conduit member I4which'extends in an upward and forward direction and is arrangedwith thedis charge mouth I5 thereof in communication with said firebox throughthe firing opening I2 thereof. Extending laterally'from the forward endof each side wall I6, H of the riser conduit is a flange I8 throughwhichbolts I9 securing the riser conduit. I4 to the backwall I'I'. Mounted atthe juncture of the conduit front wall 20 and the bottom wall 2I of thedischarge mouth I5 is a chambered member 22 which is providedwithapertures 23 for issuing blasts of pressure fiuid over a distributingtable 24 from which the fuel is spread over the firebed.

The rear wall 25 of the riser conduit I4 is in spaced relation with itsfront wall 20 and extends -to a point above its bottom wall2I, while theside walls I6, II extend forwardly in an upward direction so that eachside wall merges into a respective flange I8. In horizontal crosssection the upper end of the riser conduit is U-shaped and the uppermarginal edges of the side walls I6, I! and the rear wall 25 terminatein a common forwardly inclined plane to form a seat 26 fora removablecover member 21 which is provided with a complementary seat 28.

Curving upwardly, then forwardly, as a forward continuation of the rearwall '25, is the cover 21 terminating in a forward edge 30 which isspaced rearward of the outer surface 9 of the backwall I I. The top wallor cover 21 is spaced a distance above the bottom wall 2| which issufficient to permit the column of fuel passing through the conduit I4to rise above the bottom wall to a height whereby the columnar formationof fuel willbreak along its line of repose and fall downwardly onto the'distributor table 24in front of the jet apertures 23 for distributionover the firebed.

At or immediately forward of this normal angle or line of repose of thefuel, the cover 21 is provided with a plurality of transversely spacedapertures 3| which are arranged to be covered or uncovered by a plate 32which is slidable transversely of the conduit in a guideway formed bythe parallel pair .of ledges 33, 34. The rear ledge 34 is cut awayimmediately opposite each aperture 3| whereby a greater range of visionis afforded for inspecting stoker operation and fire conditions from apoint exterior'of the firebox.

Preferably, the removable cover 21 is hinged to the conduit I4,and forthis purpose a pair of -ears 35 are formed with the rear wall 25 to bereceived between the'lugs 36 which are formed at the rear side of thecover 21. A pin 31 passes through the ears 35 and'the'lugs 36 forhinging the cover 21 to the conduit. The pin 3! is locked in position bymeans of cotters 38.

" In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4,inclusive, it will be observed that the discharge mouth I5 of the'riserconduit are passed; for

l4 communicates with the firebox l3 through the lower portion of thefiring opening l2. Pneumatically operated doors 39, mounted upon a frame40 which is rigid with the backwall ll, close the upper portion of thefiring opening. Slightly to the rear of its forward edge 30, the cover21 is provided with a lug or bead 4| which extends transversely of thebackwall l I and forms with the lower rearward edge of the frame 40 away 42 within the confines of which fits the lower portions of the doors39. The lug or bead 4| forms a stop for restraining rearward movement ofthe doors 39 which might be caused by explosions within the firebox l3.

It will be observed from Figures I and 2 that when the fire doors 39 arein their normal position, they will serve to limit upward swingingmovement of the cover 21. However, the doors 39 cannot, in actualpractice, be made to firmly retain the cover 2'! on the seat 26 of theriser conduit l4. It is necessary that the cover 21 be firmly seatedover the conduit 14 in order that the rising column of fuel will notunseat the cover and cause fuel to spill out and, therefore, we haveprovided a simple and efficient latch device 43, at each side of thecover 21 for retaining it in a firm position over the conduit l4.

Each latch device 43 consists of a lever 44 which is pivoted on a cappedbolt 45 screwed into the cover 21 and locked thereto by a pin 46.Extending downwardly and forwardly from the pivoted portion 9 of thelever 44 is an arm 41 having an inwardly projecting finger 48 arrangedto engage the under side of a lug 49 which extends outwardly from a sidewall I6, I! of the conduit l4 and below the cover seat 26. The underside of the lug 49 is in the form of a curve which is eccentric from thepivot bolt 45 or it may be an involute curve described from this pivotbolt. This curve is so related with the axis of the pivot bolt 45 thatthe radial distances from such axis to the curved under side of the lug49 increase successively in a forward direction. The radial distancefrom the axis of the pivot bolt to the lug engaging portion of thefinger 48 is greater than the least radial distance from such axis tothe curved under side of the lug 49 but less than the greatest radialdistance between the curved under side and the pivot axis. In thismanner, when the stoker operator presses downwardly and forwardly on thehandle 59 of the lever 44, the

'finger 49 will freely engage the eccentrically curved under side of thelug 49. Further downward and forward movement of the handle will causethe finger 48 to be wedged tightly against the under side of the lug 49,thus drawing the cover 21 downwardly so that it is firmly seated uponthe seat 26 of the conduit l4.

Whenever access to the interior of the firebox I3 is desired, the stokeroperatorpulls the handles 50 in an upwardly rearward direction until thefingers 48 are free of the lugs 49, whereupon the doors 39 are openedand the cover 21 swung rearwardly. Since the upper end of the conduit I4is open in a direction forward from its rear wall 25, the mouth l5 ofthe conduit forms a portion of the entranceway into the firebox so thata smaller firing opening can be used than would be possible otherwise.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5, the cover 21a constitutes afire door as well as a cover for the conduit Ma. The latch device 43a isof identical form with that used in the preferred form, and for thisreason does not require further description.

with a firing opening therein, a stoker for delivering fuel into saidfirebox comprising a conduit having a discharge mouth communicating withsaid furnace through said firing opening, said conduit having an openingtherein extending rearward from a point close to the plane of saidfurnace wall, a ,cover normally closing said opening, said cover beinghinged at its end remote from the plane of the furnace wall to saidconduit, said cover being provided with a latching lever pivoted on theforward end of said cover and. cooperating with a device on the conduitto latch the cover in place, said latching lever having. a handleportion normally disposed between the lever pivot and the pivot of thecover and being operative by a substantially continuous rearward andupward pull to unlatch the cover and swingit upward and rearward on itspivot.

2. In combination with a furnace having a wall with a firing openingtherein, a stoker for delivering fuel into said firebox comprising aconduit having a discharge mouth communicating with said furnace throughsaid firing opening, said conduit having an opening therein extendingrearward from a point close to theplane of said furnace wall, a covernormally closing said opening, said cover being hinged at its end remotefrom the plane of the furnace wall to said conduit, said cover beingprovided with a latching lever pivoted on the forward end of said coverand cooperating with a device on the conduit to latch the cover inplace, said latching lever having a handle portion normally disposedbetween the lever pivot and the pivot of the cover and below the planepassing through the pivotal axes of said lever and cover.

3. In combination with a furnace having a wall with a firing openingtherein, a stoker for delivering fuel into said firebox comprising aconduit having a discharge mouth communicating with'said furnace throughsaid firing opening, said conduit having an opening therein extendingrearward from a point close to the plane of said furnace wall, a covernormally closing said opening, said cover being hinged at its end remotefrom the plane of the furnace wall to said conduit, said cover beingprovided with a latching lever pivoted on the forward end of said coverand cooperating with a device on the conduit to latch the cover inplace, said latching lever having a handle portion normally disposedbetween the lever pivot and the pivot of the cover and being operativeby a substantially continuous rearward and upward pull to unlatch thecover and swing it upward and rearward on its pivot, said latching leverand the cooperating device on the conduit being arranged for increasingthe pressure of the cover against the conduit with increasing pressureon the handle portion of said latching lever.

4. In combination with a furnace having a wall with a firing openingtherein, a stoker for delivering fuel into said firebox comprising aconduit having a discharge mouth communicating with said furnace throughsaid firing opening, said conduit having an' opening therein extendingrearward from a point close to the plane of said furnace wall, a covernormally closing said opening, said cover being hinged at its end remotefrom the plane of the furnace wall to said conduit, said cover beingprovided with a latching lever pivoted on the forward end of said coverand cooperating with a device on the conduit to latch the cover inplace, said latching lever having a handle portion normally disposedbetween the lever pivot and the pivot of the cover and beilow the planepassing through the pivotal axes of said lever and cover, said latchinglever and the cooperating device on the conduit being arranged forincreasing the pressure of the cover against the conduit with increasingpressure on the banclle portion of said latching lever.

HOWARD P. ANDERSON. EUGENE MARTIN.

